We’re excited to be working with two new schools at Waterloo this half-term, Paddington Academy and Marylebone Boys School, alongside three more regular partners, Mulberry Academy Woodside, Haringey Learning Partnership and Oasis Southbank Academy.
Now the growing season is well and truly underway, with things both intended and not intended bursting into life, it offers lots of opportunity to engage young people in planting, nurturing and eating tasty things at the farm. It’s great to be able to try unusual salad leaves as we welcome new school groups with a farm tour, engaging the curiosity and bravery of young people as they taste rocket flowers, nasturtium and mustard leaves. This comes with a mixture of delight, disgust and ambivalence!
We opened the farm up to the local community over the Easter holidays for our “Spring-Dig” event, featuring lots of family-friendly activities and a chance to enjoy the garden and meet the animals. It was well attended with around 200 visitors. We love to see the farm busy and bustling!
We’re so pleased that West London Zone have chosen to host their community day at Waterloo in the summer half-term, for children and families attending their many partner schools in west London.
As the weather slowly warms up, we’re getting ready to welcome lots of corporate volunteer groups, with at least four sessions booked in over the next month – ranging from local law firms, media agencies and a well-known restaurant chain. We’re also kicking off our commercial events season in May, working with other organisations to hire our unique, central-London location as a way to earn important income for the farm.
It’s going to be a busy summer ahead and we look forward to keeping you posted along the way!